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Distant Voices
' |image= |series= |production=40513-464 |producer(s)= |story= Joe Menosky |script= Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe |director=Alexander Singer |imdbref=tt0708526 |guests=Andrew J. Robinson as Garak, Victor Rivers as Altovar, Ann H. Gillespie as Nurse |previous_production= Visionary |next_production= Improbable Cause |episode=DS9 S03E18 |airdate= 10 April 1995 |previous_release= (DS9) Visionary (Overall) State of Flux |next_release= Through the Looking Glass |story_date(s)=Unknown |group="N"}} (2371) |previous_story= State of Flux Prime Factors |next_story= Through the Looking Glass Star Trek Generations }} =Summary= An alien named Altovar approaches Bashir to obtain a restricted substance. The doctor refuses, prompting Altovar to later break into the Infirmary. Bashir arrives and tries to stop him, but the alien renders him unconscious with an electrical discharge. When Bashir recovers, he finds the temples of his hair graying, and the station dark and deserted. Just the most vital systems still function, and although he periodically hears strange whispering sounds, the only inhabitants found are Garak and a terrified Quark. Bashir and Garak split up in hopes of learning the fate of the others. Suddenly, his path is blocked by a forcefield, and he senses a presence coming toward him. Thinking quickly, Bashir ducks inside a turbolift and narrowly escapes the pursuing Altovar. He exits to find Kira, O'Brien, Odo, and Dax engaged in a heated discussion. Bashir now appears to have aged 25 years, but the group is too busy debating each other to notice. The doctor realizes that the whispering, the crew's strange behavior, and the technical problems must be connected. O'Brien fixes the communications relay, and the group hears the same whispers. As the sounds become clearer, they prove to be the distant voices of the crew, stating that Bashir is in a telepathically-induced coma and will be dead in less than three hours. The doctor scans himself and discovers that he is indeed in a coma. Bashir realizes that the rest of the group really isn't there — this scenario is actually happening in his mind, which is represented by the station, and the others just embody different aspects of his personality — fixing the station will bring Bashir out of his coma. Unfortunately, Dax is captured by the alien, and Bashir suddenly finds himself with Garak, who directs the doctor to Ops in order to repair the damage. On his way, Bashir sees Sisko, who represents the best aspects of the doctor's personality. But Altovar captures Sisko, then tells Bashir he will kill each part of his personality before finally letting him die. While trying to get to Ops, Bashir, who appears about 75 now, finds Kira dead and Odo dying. He and O'Brien end up at Quark's, where the crowd is betting on how and when Bashir will die. Altovar appears, killing Quark, and Bashir starts to run away, but is terrified to discover he has broken his hip. Bashir, now about 100 years old, is helped to Ops by Garak, who keeps encouraging him to give up. Bashir then realizes that Garak is actually Altovar. At this point the alien reveals his true form, but Bashir, having recovered some of his confidence, gains the upper hand. He returns to the Infirmary, realizing that this is the center of his world — and, therefore, the place from which he should repair the damage. Immediately, he is able to restore the lights, trap Altovar in a forcefield, and disintegrate the alien. He then quickly regains consciousness, surrounded by his crewmates, who he prepares to tell of his bizarre experience. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # At the beginning of this episode Bashir worries that he's turning thirty. He tells Garak that the age of thirty signals the end of youth and a slow march into middle age. In Emissary we learn that Bashir is twenty-seven. Emissary begins on star date 46379.1. Although we do not have a star date for this episode, it succeeds the episode "Destiny," which carries a star date of 48543.2. It's safe to assume, then, that this episode has a star date later than 48543.2. Guess what? Bashir really could be turning thirty! If he had a birthday shortly after coming to the station, this would make perfect sense. (Yes! Yes! Way to go, creators! Clap, clap. clap, clap.) It is fascinating, however, to see how traditions continue for hundreds of years even though the reason for them has disappeared. In our day and age, the average life span is about seventy years. A thirtieth birthday really does signal the start of middle age But in Star Trek, humans apparently live full and productive lives of well over one hundred years. Yet apparently the stigma of thirty has remained. Perhaps it also signals the end of youth! # I suppose Bashir is just being a nice guy when he doesn't immediately report Altovar's attempt to buy biomemetic gel. True, it is a felony even to attempt to obtain the substance, but he's a doctor, not a policeman, right? He probably wanted to wait until Altovar actually tried to steal the gel, thus providing enough evidence for a prosecution. # Bashir really should know very quickly that the reality he's experiencing is an illusion. Shortly after awakening, he looks in a mirror and sees that his hair is starting to turn gray. Note that the length of his hair has not increased, nor does the graying occur only at the roots. A large number of hairs have instantly turned gray over their entire length. As a doctor, Bashir should know that this can- not happen naturally. Even a virus cannot do this. Hair must grow out gray from the roots. Bashir should have suspected the work of a prankster makeup artist. It could be a side effect from the attack. # Though this is all happening in Bashir's mind, you would expect it to conform to his knowledge of medical science, wouldn't you? Fleeing from the Lethean in Quark's bar, Bashir falls down and promptly pronounces that he has broken his hip. (This occurs just before a commercial break and heightens the tension of the show—no doubt to help ensure that viewers won't go channel surfing and forget to return.) As the episode continues, however, Bashir seems to improve, and eventually, he walks again! (Maybe in the twenty-fourth century broken hips mend themselves?!) Assuming the hip was actually broken, and not sprained. Equipment Oddities # At one point Bashir finds a malfunctioning replicator. A liquid pours from the top like one of those hot-beverage vending machines that's out of cups. This surprised me. I guess Cardassian replicators work differently from Federation replicators. In Evolution (TNG) we see a Federation replicator malfunction. A glass sits on the materialization grid, and liquid bubbles out of it—as if it is constantly being materialized inside the glass. The utensil production subroutine could have been corrupted. # The doors on the wardroom where Bashir first meets Kira, Dax, O'Brien, and Odo don't open all the way.This could be a power supply fault. Nit Central # Keith Alan Morgan, representing Dr. Bashir's nitpicking on Saturday, May 08, 1999 - 7:51 am: Why Dr. Bashir didn't hit his combadge when he saw the Lethean in Sick Bay? He probably wanted to try and stop the Lethean himself. # REFERENCE TO DR. BASHIR, I PRESUME When the 'Lethean' is going over Dr. Bashir's secrets, why didn't it mention Julian's genetic enhancements? Disbelief? (Maybe the Lethean race are the result of secret genetic engineering in their ancient past.) # Kathryn Ramage on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 12:31 pm: Not necessarily a nit, but it struck me as interesting. In the opening scene, Quark interrupts Bashir's lunch to ask him to perform an illegal act (supplying the Lethean with biomimetic gel); Quark annoys Bashir; Quark apologizes to...Garak. Mark Stanley on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 3:22 pm:''That always struck me as funny. Even more interesting, Garak accepts the apology as if it's his due.''Seniram Bashir senses that Quark is acting under duress from the Lethean. # dotter31 on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 8:42 pm: If Letheans are so dangerous (the only two we've seen on Star Trek both attacked people with their powers) why was one allowed to board the station, let alone try to purchase a restricted substance? LUIGI NOVI on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 9:33 pm: All races are potentially dangerous. Klingons are dangerous. Romulans are dangerous. Humans are dangerous. Someone who is a trained killer can be dangerous, regardless of their race. Every time you or I walk out the front door, the fellow humans we encounter are potentially dangerous. But we accept that risk, because most of us will not encounter someone like that, since most of us are not dangerous. Should they institute a policy of passage aboard DS9 based on race? It's also possible that not all Letheans have the same telepathic skill, just as not all humans are good martial artists, sharpshoots, etc. (Peter David made this point with the Betazoids in Imzadi.) dotter31 on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 7:01 am: Thanks, Luigi for your point about how not all Letheans are the same. I hope they are not all thugs. I wasn't trying to suggest a race-based entrance policy(though I sounded like it) I guess I was just wondering if there was any way to prevent any individual with a built-in energy weapon from using it. LUIGI NOVI on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 9:50 am: And Changelings are another possible example, given what we saw in Chimera. =Notes= Category:Episodes Category:Deep Space Nine